NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Top-seeded Vanderbilt scored six times in the first three innings and received a complete game from right-hander Drake Fellows as part of an 8-2 victory against fourth-seeded Ohio State in its NCAA Nashville Regional opener Friday night at Hawkins Field.
Fellows (12-0) settled down after permitting one run in each of the first two frames. The right-hander fanned nine batters across as many innings including stranding the bases loaded in the fourth with a punchout. Fellows allowed just one runner to reach scoring position over his final five innings.
Vanderbilt (50-10) has won 23 of its last 24 games and reached 50 wins for the sixth time in program history and first since 2015. The Commodores advance to the winners’ bracket on Saturday and will face No. 2-seed Indiana State at 6 p.m.
The Commodores produced four runs in the first two frames highlighted by a Julian Infante (1-for-4) two-out solo home run in the second. The senior, who has recorded a hit in seven of his last eight games, has nine homers in his last 36 games.
Stephen Scott (2-for-3) ignited the scoring with a leadoff triple in the second and connected on a one-out, wall-ball double in the seventh. The senior’s second extra-base hit scored Pat DeMarco(1-for-2) from first and helped the Commodores break through after leaving the bases loaded consecutive innings.
Ohio State (35-26) logged just four hits after the second innings. The Buckeyes finished .118 (2-for-17) with runners aboard and .000 (0-for-7) with two outs. Five-hole hitter Conner Pohl (2-for-4) paced Ohio State’s offense, registering a double and home run.
Vanderbilt’s top-three in the order finished a combined 6-for-12 with three doubles and three runs. Austin Martin reached base three times and scored twice while JJ Bleday logged two doubles and an RBI. Ethan Paul drove in one as part of his 25th multi-hit game.
